Metallica lives up to its legend in concert

(See photos from the Oakland concert by great photog Jane Tyska by clicking here.)

By Jim Harrington

Metallica was magnetic.

For more than two hours on Saturday night (Dec. 20), the legendary Bay Area band â€“ up for election to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2009 – held the attention of the capacity crowd at Oracle Arena as tightly as one would grasp a winning lottery ticket. The quartet, which consists of vocalist-guitarist James Hetfield, lead guitarist Kirk Hammett, drummer Lars Ulrich and bassist Robert Trujillo, made nary a wrong move as it delivered what can only be assessed as an utterly triumphant homecoming.

Speed metal â€“ or, really, any type of rock â€˜nâ€™ roll â€“ doesnâ€™t get much better than what was seen at this Oakland concert. The set list, a mix of cuts from the newly released â€œDeath Magneticâ€ CD and old favorites, was terrific. The theatrical elements, which included a laser show that could best what Pink Floyd offered back in its prime, were breathtaking. The band sounded stronger than it has in years. And the crowdâ€™s enthusiasm level, which revved at full throttle throughout the evening, was the true icing on the cake.

â€œYou are the fifth member of Metallica,â€ Hetfield told the 15,000-plus screaming fans.

What a difference a solid new CD makes. The band opened the show with a brawny double shot of â€œThat Was Just Your Life â€œ and â€œThe End of the Line,â€ which also happen to be the first two cuts on â€œDeath Magnetic,â€ and kept right on mining the new disc for more gold. All of these tunes, especially â€œCyanideâ€ and â€œAll Nightmare Long,â€ managed to stand toe-to-toe with the fan favorites performed on this night.

â€œDeath Magneticâ€ is being hailed as the bandâ€™s return to its â€˜80s roots, a blast from the past before Metallica zooms off into modern times with the release of its own â€œGuitar Heroâ€ title (due in stores early next year). The bigger deal is that it marks the return of the guitar solo, something sorely missing on 2003â€™s â€œSt. Anger.â€ In concert, thatâ€™s translating to a bigger role for Hammett, who lit up such bright guitar solos in Oakland that theyâ€™re probably still flashing in fansâ€™ ears today.

Hammettâ€™s contribution was matched by the other members of this band, which seems to be hitting yet another high point in its career. Trujillo, who joined the force in 2003 after doing time in Ozzy Osbourneâ€™s band, and Ulrich were incredibly energetic and colorful, yet neither ever missed a beat.

Hetfield was a commanding presence, a Thor-like figure who raged through â€œCreeping Death,â€ â€œBroken, Beat and Scarredâ€ and other winners as he stalked about the â€œin-the-roundâ€ stage placed at the center of the arena floor. The vocalist also acted as the ringleader, joking with his fellow band members and talking to the crowd between songs.

â€œOakland dies hard!â€ screamed Hetfield, who apparently hasnâ€™t seen the Raiders play in quite some time.

Closing up the main set with the anthem â€œEnter Sandman,â€ then returning for a three-song encore that included the classic â€œSeek and Destroy,â€ Metallica made one thing perfectly clear: This is a band thatâ€™s far from being ready for the rocking chair. This was anything but a nostalgia show â€“ something you canâ€™t say about recent offerings from AC/DC or most other arena rockers â€“ and that made Metallica even more magnetic in the eyes of fans.

Set list:
That Was Just Your Life
The End Of The Line
Creeping Death
For Whom The Bell Tolls
One
Broken, Beat And Scarred
Cyanide
Sad But True
The Unforgiven
All Nightmare Long
The Day That Never Comes
Master Of Puppets
Blackened
Nothing Else Matters
Enter Sandman